Ice dispensing machines may generate contaminants such as scale and hard water deposits when operating for a long-term duration. Additionally, ice dispensing machines may receive contaminants from an exterior environment such as bacterial or other such contaminants including dust, dirt, and other forms of contamination. Therefore, ice dispensing machines should be cleaned and sanitized at various periodic intervals to assure the quality of ice being produced as well as provide smooth operation of the ice dispensing machine.
Generally, ice dispensing machines may be cleaned and sanitized manually requiring disassembly of various portions of the ice dispensing mechanism. Oftentimes personnel may be required to utilize ladders, disassemble various of the external panels, or require physical ingress into the ice dispensing mechanism such as in the hopper or ice maker portions of such a mechanism.
There is therefore a need in the art for an ice dispensing mechanism that includes a cleaning system that is semi or fully automated and cleans and sanitizes various portions of an ice dispensing mechanism including the ice maker and ice hopper portions of such an assembly. There is also a need in the art for a cleaning system that cleans in place without the requirements for complicated manual operations. There is also a need in the art for such an automated system that may require cleaning of the ice dispensing apparatus at predetermined intervals such that cleanliness and sanitation of the ice dispensing apparatus is maintained.